1. Mark Lazar Chief, Client Engagement
What U.S. Students Want: Maximizing the Value of Education Abroad Programs
Mark Lazar
Chief, Client Engagement

2. “Don’t Pick a Place
Pick a Future”
--Study in Sweden

3. Presentation Outline
Education Abroad and Employability
Study Abroad to Education Abroad
5 Recommendations

4.
Gaining an Employment Edge

5. Purpose of the Study Methodology
Does study abroad impact employment and career development?
How does study abroad positively impact careers?
Methodology
National Survey: 4,565 survey responses from alumni who studied abroad from U.S. institutions between 1999/00 – 2016/17
Interviews: 30 interviews, representing a variety of demographics, academic experiences, and professional fields
This mixed methods study surveyed a broad sample of over 4,500 alumni of U.S. higher education institutions who participated in study abroad between 1999/00 and 2016/17. In a departure from much of the research on this topic, we also interviewed a segment of respondents to gain a more nuanced understanding of the links between study abroad and employability, with a particular focus on the aspects of study abroad programs that contribute to positive employment outcomes
Gaining an Employment Edge

6. Study abroad has a positive impact on most 21st century job skills.
The Power of International Education

7. Short-term programs are most effective at developing teamwork.
Negative correlation between study length and teamwork:
Teamwork
(r= -0.08, p<0.001)
Strongest impact of study abroad length:
Foreign Language
(r=0.35, p<0.001)
Communication (r=0.22, p<0.01)
Skills not impacted by length:
interviewees on short-term programs more frequently discussed teamwork activities built into programs.
Curiosity
Work Ethic
Leadership
Gaining an Employment Edge

8. “Different” destinations have a bigger impact.
Unexplored, Culturally Different Location:
Clear impact on skill development & career utility.
“…for me, it was important to go somewhere that was in a foreign language. My school has [a program in the UK], but I didn’t want to do that, I didn’t feel like it was going to push me enough… [What allowed skill development] was experiencing the different cultures and just being in a different environment.
Marketing & Economics Major – Short-Term in Brazil, 2009/10 – Current Industry: Information Technology
Choosing a less familiar destination was positively associated with skill development and sense of career impact.
Interviewees who described wanting to choose a “different” location were more likely to describe a clear impact on skill development and career utility.
Independence as learning catalyst  European destinations.
Structure as learning catalyst  non-traditional destinations
A common theme that came out of the interviews was a tendency for those that had less international exposure before studying abroad to study in culturally similar destinations. This was true irrespective of academic major. This theme also came through in frequent comments about wanting to go to a “different” destination; the meaning of “different” varied depending on the participant’s prior international exposure. For example, an alum who had been to the UK previously wanted to travel outside of Europe and another with family in Latin America wanted to explore Europe during her study abroad program. Regardless of the destinations, the skills these alumni developed, such as intercultural competence, and the ways they developed them were often similar.
Both survey and interview data revealed a few notable differences between European destinations and other destinations. Those who studied in Western Europe largely reported skill gains through independence and figuring things out on their own, while courses and organized activities were more likely to be noted as a catalyst for skill development by interviewees that studied in other regions, where students may be kept together as a group in structured programs, as these are typically non-traditional destinations. This inclination towards greater independence helps to explain the lagging development of skills that might develop in more group-oriented or collaborative environments, including teamwork, leadership, and work ethic. The desire for independent travel also frequently came up as a motivating factor in choosing Europe as a destination in the first place, explaining why this was often mentioned as a catalyst for skill development, and suggesting that team-based skill development may not have been the focus of either the program, student, or both.
Even those studying abroad in destinations that were culturally and linguistically similar to home reported developing skills. However, these respondents were less inclined to report developing intercultural skills and, not surprisingly, language skills. Some interviewees that studied abroad in English-speaking destinations expressed a regret for the lack of language learning opportunity in their destination choice, although they still reported improving other skills and having valuable developmental experiences.
Gaining an Employment Edge

9. RECOMMENDATIONS

10. RECOMMENDATIONS:
Coach students on how to effectively communicate the skills learned through study abroad to employers.
Integrate clear employment-related learning outcomes into the design of study abroad programs.
Leverage the strength of short-term study abroad programs in developing teamwork skills.
Encourage students to study somewhere that is culturally or linguistically “different” than what they already know.
Increase STEM students’ participation in study abroad.
Coach students on how to effectively communicate the skills learned through study abroad to employers. The survey findings indicate that many employers do not ask about study abroad experiences during interviews. Those study participants who took the initiative to raise their study abroad experiences during job interviews reported a stronger connection between study abroad and employment offers, suggesting that students can benefit from interview coaching or training on how to communicate the value of their study abroad experiences to employers.
Integrate clear employment-related learning outcomes into the design of study abroad programs. While some respondents reported feeling uncertain about how to convey their study abroad learnings to prospective employers, nearly all participants reported using these skills on the job. To help address this gap, Study Abroad and Career Services offices should work collaboratively to infuse explicit career-oriented learning goals when designing study abroad programs, as well as help students to explicitly identify the transferrable skills they hope to gain through study abroad. These goals should be incorporated into all kinds of study abroad programs, including short-term and long-term programs, those that are classroom-based and experiential programs such as internships.
Leverage the strength of short-term study abroad programs in developing teamwork skills. When considering study abroad length, a longer time spent abroad does have a positive impact, especially for foreign language development, but short-term programs are also beneficial, particularly when more highly structured. Shorter term programs may be a preference for students that either do not have time to study abroad longer, or for students who may benefit most from the development of skills like teamwork, leadership, or work ethic. To enable the development of a range of employment-related skills, a variety of program types with different work-related learning objectives should be offered to students, including study abroad programs of varying duration, programs that emphasize independent learning or teamwork skills, and both classroom-based and experiential opportunities such as internships and volunteering.
Encourage students to study somewhere that is culturally or linguistically “different” than what they already know. When working with students to choose study abroad destinations and programs, consider their prior international exposure, and encourage them to push the envelope accordingly. Immersion in a culture that one is not familiar with already or that is linguistically or culturally different from home can have powerful career impacts. Students studying in unfamiliar destinations acquire greater intercultural skills and report more positive career impacts than students who study in more familiar destinations.
Increase STEM students’ participation in study abroad. STEM majors in the study noted that study abroad provided them a high value in being able to develop “soft” skills that were largely not addressed by their programs at home. STEM students reported especially high study abroad gains in skills such as oral and written communication, interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability, and intercultural skills. Many of the students noted that these skills set them apart from other job candidates in their field and gave them an edge in the job market
Gaining an Employment Edge

11. Moving from Study Abroad to Education Abroad
Clear Relation to Employability
Focus on Educational Outcomes rather than Place
Innovative Models that Combine Learning Methods
Growth in Internships, Research and Volunteer Work
It’s not about sending students abroad but rather contributing to their education plan

12. The Growth of Non-Credit Work, Internship, & Volunteer Abroad
326
Institutions
309
213
116
373
The current education abroad activities for U.S. students (2014/15 Academic Year)
Noncredit work internships and volunteering are growing

13. What U.S. Students Want
5 Recommendations